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Los Angeles

LA partners with Microsoft to provide public housing residents free internet

6-month program with Starry Internet will benefit Housing Authority complexes in Watts; Related Cos. is Starry investor

Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft, Starry Internet CEO Chet Kanojia, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images, Alex Wong/Getty Images, and Gabriel Rossi/Getty Images)
Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft, Starry Internet CEO Chet Kanojia, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images, Alex Wong/Getty Images, and Gabriel Rossi/Getty Images)

The City of Los Angeles and Microsoft have partnered up to provide free internet services for six months to thousands of South L.A. public housing residents.

Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the collaboration with service provider Starry Internet, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. Roughly 6,000 residents will benefit from the program, an extension of an existing program.

Starry Internet — Related Companies is a minority investor — began providing free internet to residents at Mar Vista public housing in June, and has committed to offering service through the end of the year.

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Microsoft is now providing grant funding to expand that to four more L.A. Housing Authority complexes in Watts — Nickerson Gardens, Jordan Downs, Imperial Courts, and Pueblo del Rio. They have 3,600 units between them.

Residents will be able to continue service with Starry Internet for $15 per month after the six-month period, according to the report.

The Boston-based company has partnered on similar projects with both public and private owners of affordable housing in other cities, including public housing authorities in Denver and Boston.

Starry internet also provides services in some of Related’s market-rate properties. [LADN] — Dennis Lynch

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Public Housing